Improvement in vacuum-brakes



C. A. BOUTON.

VACUUM BRAKES.

No.185,4781. Patented Dec.19, 1876.

I .f2-Tf1 gg# .gw-5x4 C Q Ji UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIOE.

CHARLES A. BOUTON, OE NEw YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN VACUUM-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,481, dated December19, 1876 application led October 10, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. BOUTON, of N ew York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful `ImprovementinVacuum-Brakes for Railroads, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates more particularly to a new valve mechanism to beused for operating railroad-brakes by what is known as the vacuumprocess, and for all apparatus wherein the motion of a piston is causedby the creation of avacuum on alternately opposite sides of the piston.

The invention consists principally in the use of a movable .cup-shapedvalve, whereby the Asuction-pipe can be connected with either one of thetwo branches of an elbow-pipe leading to the vacuum-cylinder, and themotion of the piston reversed by moving said valve,without in any otherway affecting the mechanism which produces the vacuum itself.

The invention consists also in combining the vacuum mechanismthat is tosay, the exhaust-pipe containing the usual steam-nozzle-With anelbow-pipe' having three parts adapted for the application of saidvalve, and with a vacuum-cylinder, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, Figure l represents a side view, partly in section, ot'the improved vacuum mechanism 5 Fig. 2, a face View thereof 5 Fig. 3, acentral longitudinal section of the vacuum-cylinder, and Fig. 4 an endView thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures. p

The cylinder A, which is placed beneath the bottom of a railroad-caror.other proper place, and which I prefer to supply with two pistons, Band C, has two inlet-openings, a b, both in line with the middle of itslength, as indicated in Fig. 3. The inlet-opening a leads into alongitudinal channel, d, which terminates in two ports, ef, at the innersides of the cylinder-heads, respectively. The opening b leads directlyinto the body of the cylinder. The two inlet-openings a b, are, bysuitable pipes, connected with the vacuum mechanism, so that when thevacuum is applied through the opening a and the ports c f the pistons Band C will be drawn apart, the atmospheric air entering through theopening b, but when the vacuum is applied through the opening b thepistons will be moved together, the atmospheric air entering through theopeninga. The inlet-opening a connects by a pipe (which is not shown inthe draw1ng,) with the branch g of a U-shaped elbow-pipe, D, shown inFig. 2, and the opening b ot' the cylinder connects, by another pipe,(not shown,) with the branch h, of said elbow-pipe D. This pipe Dconnects, between its branches g h, with a vacuum-pipe, E, in whichthere is a suitable steam-nozzle, F, to produce a vacuum in thedirection ofthe arrows shown in Fig. l, the nozzle and construction ofpipe E being well known, and not part of the present invention. Thatportion of the pipe D which joins the pipe E is separated from itsbranches g li by two partitions, 11j, which are indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2, and between these two partitions the pipe D has anopening or port, l, adjoining the partition i, the branch g of the pipeD has another opening or port, m, and the branch h of said pipe D has,adjoining the partition j, a further opening or port, n, all asindicated in Fig. 2. Two of these openings can be closed by a cupshapedvalve, G, which is pivoted at o to suitable support, and is of such sizethat its cup or concave portion will connect the port l either with theport m or n, and, by thus connecting two of these ports, the vacuum-pipeE will be joined either with the branch g or with the branch la ot' thepipe D, as may be desired. Thus, when the valve g is in the positionshown in Fig. 2-that is to say, when it connects the ports l and m-thevacuum is created through the branch g, connecting-pipe, and opening aofthe cylinder A, and the pistons B C are consequently drawn apart. Theopening b of the cylinder connects, meanwhile, by its pipe and thebranch l1., with the port n, which is open to the atmosphere, so thatair will rush into the cylinder A, between the two pistons, driving themapart. When, however, the valve G is swung so as to connect the portsland n, the ends oi" the cylinder, which connect with the branch g andopen port m, are open to the atmosphere, while a vacuum will be createdin the branch u and middle portion of the cylinder A, so that thus thepistons will be pushed together by the air that enters the ends of thecylinder. Therefore, by the mere motion of the valve G, the action ofthe brakes can be reversed. It' desired, but one piston may be used inthe cylinder, in which case the opening a will be near one end and theopening b near the other end of said cylinder.

I lay great stress upon the improved construction of the cylinder A, asthe same is not open to the usual objection that the action of thevacuum will be interfered with by dust. All the openings of my cylindercan be properly packed, and no dust can enter, andthe pipes that join itto the vacuum-pipe can be placed over the oor of a railroad-car, whereheretofore the ends of the cylinder were usually open to the air andreadily filled with dust .and impurities of various kinds.

I lay stress, also, upon the new method described by me of applying avacuum alternately to the opposite sides of a piston or pistons, wherebyI move the piston or pistons back and forth in opposite directions by avacuum created from the same nozzle. This method I am enabled to carryout with the i aid of the cup-shaped valve` .Gr`,.or,.by.theap"plication of equivalentyalve mechanism to` the pipe D or elbow. l y

Instead of making theparts gand h branches of the same pipe, they may`be vmade as sepail f rate pipes, without therebyaiecting the operationof the apparatus. V I claim as my invention-wl 1. The combination t'thenozzle F, vacnumpipe E, and ot' the pipe D,`;Which terminates in thebranches q and aandisprovided with three ports, l, m, and @withthe-cup-valve G, which is pivoted to said'ypipe E, substantially asherein shown and described.

2. In combination with the vacuum-pipe E, containing a nozzle, F, the`branehed pipeD,

